Tropical Storm Rita Live Thread

NHC - NOAA ^ | 18 September 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Tropical Storm Rita has developed from TD 18 in the Atlantic Ocean. TS Rita is currently located north of Hispaniola, the eastern tip of Cuba, and ESE of Nassau, Bahamas. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for portions of Florida. Check for local weather statements.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 5A, 8A, 11A, 2P, etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 6A, 11A, 6P, 11P
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only!
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - http://dayport.wm.llnwd.net/dayport_0025_live"
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (WMP) - mms://216.242.118.141/broadband

Other Resources:

Florida East Coast Surf Reports Lots of great info here, including surf cams
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[CindyDawg]

Yall watch for looters

[Michael Goldsberry]

I have another house in Sugar Land.

[hobson]

I drove to Galveston the day after Alicia and Galveston looked better than Clear Lake. Many boats found there way out of the lake to the north side of Nasa Rd.

[CindyDawg]

We put a car in the garage and one outside sideways to keep pressure of the garage door so it won't blow in. Like I said, I don't know if it works but when in "Brownsville".....

[jpsb]

Texas coast low lying, areas around bays (Galveston/Matagurta) and clear lake very low lying. Big cat 3 .... barrier islands, freeport, khema, seabrook, clear lake shores are toast, texas city, clear lake hit hard. Big Cat 4/5 nobody knows.

[Dog Gone]

If you live in Clear Lake, you should evacuate unless you are sure the hurricane is going to make landfall to the east of you. All of Clear Lake is submerged with a direct hit from a big storm or one that hits within 50 miles to the west of you.

The Houston Chronicle has an animation of what you could expect if Rita becomes a Cat 5.

click here and then click on storm surge. Keep clicking next until you get to the maps. A weaker storm would obviously have less storm surge, but Clear Lake is a vulnerable location.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Good - glad you have somewhere to go - I'm wondering if everyone will head toward San Antonio, or go southwest?

[No Blue States]

Houstons perfect storm scenario:
(Feb 20th, 2005)

Houston's perfect storm would feed on late summer's warm waters as it barreled northward across the Gulf of Mexico, slamming into the coast near Freeport.

A landfall here would allow its powerful upper-right quadrant, where the waves move in the same direction as the storm, to overflow Galveston Bay. Within an hour or two, a storm surge, topping out at 20 feet or more, would flood the homes of 600,000 people in Harris County. The surge also would block the natural drainage of flooded inland bayous and streams for a day or more.


the full article:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3046592

[Sam Cree]

I live about one mile in from the shoreline or less, probably. We were in the north eyewall of Andrew.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Thanks -

[Dog Gone]

It's been 12 years since I was the bullseye for a major hurricane. I didn't like the feeling then, and I don't like it now.

[Flyer]

After we saw what went on in New Orleans, I bet Houston would have a very low tolerance for looters.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I think I want gunner or eaker to come to my house - with guns! lol

[CindyDawg]

I hope, but what are the odds that none of them made it to the Astrodome?

[Dog Gone]

Dog Gone, does Mrs. Gone know that you are on the Internet asking when women are going to be home alone?

Obviously not, since all my fingers aren't broken.

Yet. ;-)

[Lanza]

Your right flyer, because we carry guns.

[RDTF]

thread still isn't on sidebar...

[shield]

OK...think by Wednesday we'll have a better track.

[Lanza]

Thanks Dog Gone. We have been in our home 8 years and have only endured a few tropical storms. We have not flooded not even during Alicen, but you never know.

[DollyCali]

worried about all of you potentially in the path.

NO has made us all a little more respectful & responsive to the power of nature. Ya'all get out of there so you can be safe to laugh at us in Cleveland in February when we are buried under a foot of snow!~